How to get an SBA loan to buy a business
One general guide and 25 vertical guides, one for each of the kinds of business with large SBA acquisition volume. Each guide pairs the public SBA loan file (48,902 acquisition loans, FY2018 to FY2026) with the program rules in SBA SOP 50 10 8.1. Nothing here is legal advice, and the guides describe SBA and lender requirements, not how to structure a purchase.
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The complete guide
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a business The full process of buying any kind of business with an SBA 7(a) loan, with a guide for each vertical. Median loan $645,250
Practices and professional firms
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a dental practice Dental practice acquisitions, including associate-to-owner buyouts. Median loan $760,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a medical practice Physician and mental health practice acquisitions. Median loans range $350,000 to $754,800
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a veterinary practice Veterinary clinic and hospital acquisitions. Median loan $859,200
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a CPA firm CPA, tax preparation and accounting firm acquisitions. Median loans range $472,750 to $500,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a home health agency Home health agency acquisitions. Median loan $700,000
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Franchises
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a franchise resale Buying an existing franchised unit from the current owner. Median loans range $228,200 to $3,489,500
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a UPS Store Resale of an existing UPS Store location. Median loan $393,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a home care franchise Resale of home care franchises such as Home Instead, Visiting Angels, Right at Home and BrightStar Care. Median loans range $571,600 to $707,300
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a fast food restaurant Limited-service restaurant acquisitions, including franchised units. Median loan $350,000
Service businesses
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a child care center Child care center and daycare acquisitions. Median loan $763,300
- How to get an SBA loan to buy an HVAC company HVAC, plumbing and heating contractor acquisitions. Median loan $734,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a landscaping business Landscaping and lawn care business acquisitions. Median loan $535,750
- How to get an SBA loan to buy an insurance agency Insurance agency and brokerage acquisitions. Median loan $720,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a laundromat Laundromat and dry cleaner acquisitions. Median loan $509,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy an auto repair shop General automotive repair shop acquisitions. Median loan $562,500
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a fitness center Fitness center and gym acquisitions, including Anytime Fitness. Median loan $298,450
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a car wash Car wash acquisitions. Median loan $1,324,100
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a self-storage facility Self-storage acquisitions, where the real estate is most of the deal. Median loan $1,126,000
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Retail and hospitality
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a restaurant Full-service restaurant acquisitions. Median loan $411,700
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a hotel or motel Hotel and motel acquisitions, branded and independent. Median loan $2,621,250
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a gas station Gas station and convenience store acquisitions. Median loan $1,436,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a liquor store Liquor store and package store acquisitions. Median loan $650,000
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a pharmacy Independent pharmacy and drug retailer acquisitions. Median loan $1,172,500
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a hardware store Hardware retailer acquisitions, including Ace Hardware dealers. Median loan $758,450
Transport
- How to get an SBA loan to buy a trucking company Local and long-distance general freight trucking acquisitions. Median loans range $969,900 to $1,102,500